Here is a copy of an email that I sent out last night. If you want to join us, let me know. I seem to be missing emails.
Dear Family and Friends,
I have a challenge for you! Its a game I played last year with some co-workers, not only did I have fun, but I lost weight and have kept that particular weight off.
Now, this isn't exactly a weight loss game, but it can be used that way. Its called The GAME ON diet. Like...As in when you taunt another person and say YOU'RE ON or Get your game on... It comes from a book of the same name written by Krista Vernoff and Az Ferguson. (I wouldn't recommend buying the book because its language is inappropriate--don't ask why--but if you can borrow it or check it out from the library, there's lots of good food nutrition info worth seeing). Here's a website instead. It gives the general idea...http://www.thegameondiet.com/.
The game typically goes for 4 weeks. You work in teams. And then you can do it again...maybe this time a different challenge against different teams. You get points for activities you do and bonus points for achieving certain fitness goals (ie 1% weight loss or running the mile 15 seconds faster, doing more situps in a minute, increasing flexibility in that week.) If you need to loose weight, 1% weight loss is the standard bonus. If you are training or already in shape, declare the goal to the scorekeeper and your team ahead of time (beginning of score week). You also get 10 points for reporting your score to your team scorekeeper on time.
Here are the categories: (Use attached spreadsheet for tracking)
5 Meals (6 points each): The goal is to eat more frequently and avoid binging. Our bodies need constant fueling. The guideline here is to eat each meal not more than 4 hours apart. The meals are around 400 calories each but that's approximate. Ideally the food should be a healthy balance of carbs, proteins, fruits, grains, dairy etc... If you are using weight watchers, jenny craig, or other weight loss programs, following those programs the way they are set up counts.
Exercise (20 points): 20 minutes a day, preferably in the morning to kick start metabolism, but not necessary. Just find 20 minutes and get the heart rate up. You don't even have to leave the house!
Sleep (15 points): Extremely important to get 7+ hours of sleep a night. If exceptions may need to be considered such as nursing mothers, or shift work, talk to the teams and the scorekeeper before the game begins.
WATER (10 points): Challenge to drink 3 liters of water daily. That's about 13 cups of water. You may find yourself going to the bathroom a lot at first but by week 3 the body gets used to it, you have better skin, and think about all the toxins you are flushing out of your body!
NEW HABIT (10 points): This isn't about just fitness, but lifestyle changes. Give yourself 10 points for each day you follow your new habit goal. This goal is established at the beginning of the game and told to all teams and the scorekeeper.
OLD HABIT (10 points): Give it up now! Find a habit you want to break for life and use this game to jump start the habit. Don't be a dork and quit cold turkey on something if it'll make you miserable and just go back to the habit after the game is over. Be careful, you lose 50 points if you decide to change this goal.
Communication (5 points): Whats more fun than doing this in teams and letting your teammates know how you're doing and drawing on each other for moral support? Tormenting the other by team about it! Five points for every day you contact at least one person on your team face to face, by phone call, by text message, email, etc and ALSO at least one person on another competitor's team. Yeah baby, bring on the Trash Talk.
There are also penalties in this game which you can see on the spreadsheet.
The game isn't so brutal. It levels the playing field for all: fit and fat, male and female, young and old Your team totals the points and takes the average, so pick a good team! I got stuck with a team that screwed up their points the first week and we were always in last place.
PICK A PRIZE: Pick a prize that everyone would want. Or a penalty that could hurt. I ponied up $10 to enter the competition and put $50 on the line for a charity. We lost and I kept my word and made lunches for the Tooele Relief Center. Other people give trophies, go to dinner, do side challenges... This prize is decided by everybody before we start.
DAY OFF: You can have a day off! What does that mean? It mean every category can have one miss during the week and still receive full points. These misses do not have to be all on the same day. This is a wonderful thing about the game. You may screw up the night before and not get 7 hours of sleep, but can still have an awesome day. You would use the free day (one miss) for the sleep requirement and keep going.
Or it means you can have a whole day where you throw everything out and screw up. But if it happens again, no more points.
Side note: For those using the 5 meal idea, I counted my meals as meals 1-5 and allowed one miss for every meal. So say I usually eat Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Snack, Dinner, but on Monday I didn't eat my brunch snack. I would count it as my free miss and award the points, but if I also didn't eat brunch on Tuesday, I would get no points etc.
MEAL OFF: This is the special meal that you've been waiting for. Its the big 2 hour social that you can't pass up. Its the mandatory business meeting, the wedding, the birthday party. Save this free meal for a social time. You have up to two hours to eat and enjoy whatever you'd like! But remember, just because you can doesn't mean you'll lose the weight or that its good for you.
So what else am I missing? OH YEAH.... TEAMS. If you are interested, please email me right away. I'd like to start this game next Tuesday, January 18--right after Martin Luther King Day.
Please send the following information:
Name
New Habit
Old Habit
I had lots of fun with this last year, but its super hard to compete against yourself or your spouse so I haven't done it again since last January. I know that I need the motivation of a social network and competition. I sent this email to family first, but feel free to organize into teams of close friends or family member not emailed. If you create your own team, please tell the team name, the names of the people and the goal information. Plus include email addresses and any other contact information. Teams should typically be 4 people and not more than 6.
Love to all and Let's get the Game ON!
Kimberly and John Leisek
Monday, January 10, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Space Shuttle Experience May 2010
In May I took John to Florida to see the last launch of STS Atlantis. We invited many people to come along, but it was, in the end, Byron and his friend, Dan that joined us. Good thing too. Bryon's resourceful thinking and fabulous luck got us tickets to the Causeway. At 8 miles away, it is the closest the public can view the space shuttle launch. The press gets to be 3 miles away and have better equipment for all the cool pics you've all seen. I attempted to capture blastoff, but gave up when Bryon did. If his super cool telescoping camera with mega whatever lenses couldn't capture what we were seeing, I wasn't going to keep trying. I simply enjoyed the sight and sound. What you don't see is how intensely bright the flame is. In fact, Bryon had to look away from his lens ...it was bright light helium sun flares. Truly intense and I had sunglasses on.
It was a hot day, but that didn't stop the lines of people lined up on the Causeway. We were on the front so I took this shot down the rope line. The lines of people backed up another 50 feet to the road where tour buses were lined up down the road and triple parked.
Byron, Kimberly, John
No its not the G force. This is the size of the bathroom on the space shuttle. We are in a mock up.
It was a hot day, but that didn't stop the lines of people lined up on the Causeway. We were on the front so I took this shot down the rope line. The lines of people backed up another 50 feet to the road where tour buses were lined up down the road and triple parked.
Byron, Kimberly, John
No its not the G force. This is the size of the bathroom on the space shuttle. We are in a mock up.
Pink Totes, pink totes everywhere. John hates them
These are the "cat" couches we bought Becky and Topher at a yard sale for $50.
I sewed slip covers for all of the pillows and John super cleaned them.
Looking toward our living room...
Got an idea to hang my oven mitts on the oven...original...
John's awesome pans. Got the idea from IKEA
Our Apartment
We are furniture sitting for Amanda. We love the living room.
My mother in law gave us this spinet
I found this fan at Disneyworld. The side pics are from mom's trip to China. I went to the Army Art Center and Framed the pics myself.
Ice fishing
Ice fishing
December 28 (Tuesday) I went ice fishing for the first time. In order to prepare for the experience we watched Grumpy Old Men on Monday night. I tried to be excited, but I admit...I'm just not a fishing type of person. Topher and John went out to Lake Darling on Monday and caught two Northern but threw them back I guess. They had gone with Kasey, Topher's last boss and friend, and if I understand correctly had nothing to protect them from the elements. Fortunately they rented an ice fishing shelter for Tuesday. Getting there seemed uneventful, just the typical stuck in the snow and getting towed out... Overall fishing is boring and I was the panda and I don't feel like saying more...
December 28 (Tuesday) I went ice fishing for the first time. In order to prepare for the experience we watched Grumpy Old Men on Monday night. I tried to be excited, but I admit...I'm just not a fishing type of person. Topher and John went out to Lake Darling on Monday and caught two Northern but threw them back I guess. They had gone with Kasey, Topher's last boss and friend, and if I understand correctly had nothing to protect them from the elements. Fortunately they rented an ice fishing shelter for Tuesday. Getting there seemed uneventful, just the typical stuck in the snow and getting towed out... Overall fishing is boring and I was the panda and I don't feel like saying more...
Happy New Year 2011.
So here we are in North Dakota, grandma's house now to many, and Audra let me know that I don't update my blog and Becky exclaimed that nobody follows it anymore. Sorry...
January
work
February
announcement of job dissolution
March
went to North Dakota to get teeth fixed
then on over to Boise for Seth Baptism
April
lost 25 lbs on the HCG diet (then did nothing and gained it back by December)
finished up scuba certification
May
Florida trip. Saw the Space Shuttle Atlantis blast off. Went to Cocoa Beach, scuba diving at Epcot, and went to my First Medieval Jousting Dinner.
June
John had calculus, weight lifting
mountaineering, canyonering
bicycling
We had a Juhasz Family Reunion in Utah
July
John bought a bicycle (Gary Fisher on Craig's List) for Kimberly
I started bicycling up canyon with John. I do love the thrill of riding down canyon rocks fast.
August
Oregon visit Michelle and kids to ranch. Took bikes to Oregon coast, but didn't ride the coast, only camped. Tried scuba diving in the cold Northern Pacific (you know to catch crabs), but I failed. Used our shell license to harvest huge mussels instead. Tasted good boiled in sea water right out of the ocean, but I didn't love them reheated or cooked in garlic. Ick.
September
We both started school. We had crazy, killer hours and a long commute.
October
Missed Halloween with Amanda and Jason because we spent that Saturday working on Kimberly's sheet metal sculpture project
November
hosted gluten free Thanksgiving. Turned out yummy. Stuffed the turkey with wild rice. I'll never do stuffing again.
December
finals
John remodeled one room in basement; looked like Bethlehem.
Christmas caroling and nativity night with neighbors and friends on the 20th and family on the 21st.
Travel to North Dakota December 22 and came back on New Year's Day.
So here we are in North Dakota, grandma's house now to many, and Audra let me know that I don't update my blog and Becky exclaimed that nobody follows it anymore. Sorry...
January
work
February
announcement of job dissolution
March
went to North Dakota to get teeth fixed
then on over to Boise for Seth Baptism
April
lost 25 lbs on the HCG diet (then did nothing and gained it back by December)
finished up scuba certification
May
Florida trip. Saw the Space Shuttle Atlantis blast off. Went to Cocoa Beach, scuba diving at Epcot, and went to my First Medieval Jousting Dinner.
June
John had calculus, weight lifting
mountaineering, canyonering
bicycling
We had a Juhasz Family Reunion in Utah
July
John bought a bicycle (Gary Fisher on Craig's List) for Kimberly
I started bicycling up canyon with John. I do love the thrill of riding down canyon rocks fast.
August
Oregon visit Michelle and kids to ranch. Took bikes to Oregon coast, but didn't ride the coast, only camped. Tried scuba diving in the cold Northern Pacific (you know to catch crabs), but I failed. Used our shell license to harvest huge mussels instead. Tasted good boiled in sea water right out of the ocean, but I didn't love them reheated or cooked in garlic. Ick.
September
We both started school. We had crazy, killer hours and a long commute.
October
Missed Halloween with Amanda and Jason because we spent that Saturday working on Kimberly's sheet metal sculpture project
November
hosted gluten free Thanksgiving. Turned out yummy. Stuffed the turkey with wild rice. I'll never do stuffing again.
December
finals
John remodeled one room in basement; looked like Bethlehem.
Christmas caroling and nativity night with neighbors and friends on the 20th and family on the 21st.
Travel to North Dakota December 22 and came back on New Year's Day.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Oh what fun it was to be on the warm sand.
Oregon is not known for Sunny beaches so I was not sure what to expect except possibly wind and wet. John picked me up at the Portland airport Thursday night and drove out to Camp Rilea, a National Guard Training Camp, where he had rented the officer's cabin for the evening. (Next part beware)..He turned on the fireplace and threw fun big pillows all over the living room floor and I, yep, I fell asleep on them. My poor husband was trying to be romantic and he gets points for that.
The next day he decided I needed to see Astoria, and so I followed him around from random store to museum to smoke house to museum to random store to gallery. Anyway, at some point I really just wanted to go to the beach. It was 74 outside and calm. I just knew this was not the typical Oregon coast weather I expected and wanted to take advantage before it started to rain (which it did on Saturday). Funny thing, first we needed to find a Bank of America, but the bank had burned down six months before and now was just a big RED armored motor home in the middle of a parking lot. The novelty was great, but the manager we talked to said the novelty had definitely worn off for her and her staff. John took a picture with his camera phone. So if I ever teach him about where our blog is and someone else teaches him how to upload pics from his phone, we might get a posting.
Anyhow. John decided I was going to see the Jetty at Fort Stephens (which we never got to) See what really happened was that as we passed the sign that said shipwreck beach, I just had to see it. John was impressed that it was low tide so after we played around in the skeletal remains of an 1902 shipwreck, he let me know that Oregon beach was a state highway and you can drive your cars on it. And I could see bunches of people were doing just that. So we got back into our little Chevy 4 door low profile front wheel drive RENTAL and decided to gun it through some extremenly soft sand at the closest beach access. Have I set up the story enough to figure out what really happened? JOHN MISSES HIS 4 WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK. He confessed that he'd never tried getting onto the beach before with anything else other than his truck-which always worked. What would we do? My stick and I became best friends. It scooped sand right out from under that high centered aluminun can and the whole ordeal is a memory.
What! You don't believe me--you want to know the rest of the story? You don't think I could dig our way out, have John jack the car, and drive out on drift wood? You don't think we actually abandoned our car or called for off road towing?
Michelle and family were waiting for us to get to Seaside, we contemplated calling her and having her pick us up.
Okay, so we weren't the first car to ever get stuck in sand and the good people of Oregon carry tow ropes in their 4 wheel drives (except for Michelle--and she knows now what she's getting from us for her birthday, like it or not). Sadly one big wheeled truck Samaritan managed to get himself stuck trying to help us, before a jeep came along. The two of them tied their TOW ropes together and the jeep pulled us both out (individually of course). I felt vindicated to some degree, but every local knew that was a bad access road. We were advised to use the Sunset Beach access next time. We did and the next day Scott took us all driving on the beach in his 4 wheel drive Toyota Sequoia. Scott was swerving all over and the kids were panic screaming-- I could see it in Michelle's eyes too. "You'd think those guys didn't know what 4 wheel drives can do" John later remarked. "I should have gotten behind the wheel" (Scott the gauntlet has been laid--you and John, beach, 4 wheel drives...next time).
The beach was gorgeous. The warm sand squished between my toesies and the condo was right on the beach. I'm still smiling. The condo was a two bedroom special needs which I, well, was going to feel guilty about, but when I saw how the room catered to pack and plays and extra space for children, I determined we were that special needs family--8 of us in the Condo--and it worked! We had so much fun with the DeVries and the kids were a hoot to play with when they weren't watching tv. (I think tv watching is the true health pandemic that calls for a bailout plan).
Saturday, as I said, was rainy, but John and I managed to take the kids to the Salt Water Taffy shop. John had a brilliant idea that he was sure would take up some time. "Go fill up your bags with 10 candies each" he explained... The kids didn't appreciate the variety. They just grabbed their 10 candies and kept asking for ice cream. It was, by the way, Eden's 4th Birthday and she already had been given a free ice cream from the shop. Fair was fair. Right? John's idea continued to backfire. He figured it took 70 pieces to make a pound and he would have the kids just eat their candy while he filled bags for friends and special requests from friends, etc. When we checked out he let the lady know that the kids had been eating their candy and he would pay for eaten pieces. She informed him that they only charged by weight and darn it all if we didn't just get a bunch of free candy in those kids' bellies. *Actually, John, what a brilliant idea and great way to save money* ha ha.
So the place is called Candy Man. If you want free candy....
Well, tons more activities and no pics at the moment. Carousel, Fort Stevens bunkers, the shipwreck again, soaked kids, an hour in Ross for new clothes, Papa Murphy birthday pizza, homemade box cake (the secret is the butter instead of oil and the Reeses Pieces Puffs on top of the frosting--great crunch!) More tv and more swimming/hot tubbing, and then we actually got to fly some kites once the sun went down. I will not at all mislead you to think that the beach was fun then. It had its moments and the kites were cool, but so was the air by then...brrrr. Eden had about 20 minutes of it and we called it a very long day.
Check out before 10am the next day. The DeVries family made a magic trick. With only 20 minutes to leave by 9:30, and with everyone still eating breakfast, gears changed rapidly: the kids got dressed, Michelle and Scott packed up the bedroom and the kitchen. 9:30 the boys were taking suitcases out to the car, Michelle took a shower and got ready for church. John checked us out of the room and the final sweep performed by Scott around 10am located the forgotten grahm crackers that later would provide us with much sweetened nourishment for lunch. Thanks Scott for the save. But really...50 minutes! I was impressed. The opening song and sacrament song were missed, but the family was there for sacrament. In fact, they were there before the "always on-time John". But, you see, here's our excuse. John and I did not know where the church was and you could say we got lost, but how can you get lost when you never knew where you were going in the first place? The family got out of there so quickly that--well, we thought we were going to follow them. But, oh well. We did ask directions at a Microtel Inn. The front desk did not know what LDS was, but one girl called her mom for directions. Evidentally her mother's job is to drive residents to church so she knows the location of all the churches in town. We made it there by the first testimonies.
We went to church, ate a picnic on the church lawn, said our goodbyes under a smiling sun --no body wanted to leave. Drove into pouring Portland, caught an almost uneventful flight (except its me so I'll always have some drama--like losing a boarding pass between the security gate, the bathroom, and the boarding area--and or, watching all the luggage come out onto the carousel and right when you see your bag pop out, the carousel stops, nobody moves, the bags seemed jammed; no workers come to see what's going on and we all stand around for 5-8 minutes wondering who's going to help. I finally went over to see where my bag ended up in the process--NAUGHTY bag. IT had caused the baggage pile up and the decomissioned freeway. I pushed and pulled at it until something snapped. So note to all travelers: Make sure that your buckles are secure, because you never know when the strap might decide to lodge itself into the conveyor belt and stop the whole show. Some guy came up to me and handed me the buckle-"here's what's left"--nice, thanks.)
So here I am tired, cranky, waiting for John to call which he was supposed to do 1.5 ago and I'm feeling like a big long nap. Getting to work this morning at 6:30 seemed so very early...YAWN. But I had it good. John drove the 2 hours to Portland and another 3-4 back to Bend. He then had to set up his 5th wheel, catch a 1/2 nap before getting on the sweeper truck and going another 40 minutes to Redmond. He said he kept falling asleep while driving and finally stopped and took another nap. Needless to say, the sun came up before he did. Overall, I hope no one really noticed the big Red Loud Dusty Truck going in circles around the Wal*Mart parking lot. So a final thought to help you and remind me to have empathy...
When you think its bad for you...you can always guarantee something worse for John. (I love you John, but you sure have some funny luck).
So now, yes now. I'm done. I will write about my hitchhiker experience later. And also I have yet to do the refinishing of the porcelain tub and sink--I think I'm intimidated.
Good night.
Love Kimberly
Oregon is not known for Sunny beaches so I was not sure what to expect except possibly wind and wet. John picked me up at the Portland airport Thursday night and drove out to Camp Rilea, a National Guard Training Camp, where he had rented the officer's cabin for the evening. (Next part beware)..He turned on the fireplace and threw fun big pillows all over the living room floor and I, yep, I fell asleep on them. My poor husband was trying to be romantic and he gets points for that.
The next day he decided I needed to see Astoria, and so I followed him around from random store to museum to smoke house to museum to random store to gallery. Anyway, at some point I really just wanted to go to the beach. It was 74 outside and calm. I just knew this was not the typical Oregon coast weather I expected and wanted to take advantage before it started to rain (which it did on Saturday). Funny thing, first we needed to find a Bank of America, but the bank had burned down six months before and now was just a big RED armored motor home in the middle of a parking lot. The novelty was great, but the manager we talked to said the novelty had definitely worn off for her and her staff. John took a picture with his camera phone. So if I ever teach him about where our blog is and someone else teaches him how to upload pics from his phone, we might get a posting.
Anyhow. John decided I was going to see the Jetty at Fort Stephens (which we never got to) See what really happened was that as we passed the sign that said shipwreck beach, I just had to see it. John was impressed that it was low tide so after we played around in the skeletal remains of an 1902 shipwreck, he let me know that Oregon beach was a state highway and you can drive your cars on it. And I could see bunches of people were doing just that. So we got back into our little Chevy 4 door low profile front wheel drive RENTAL and decided to gun it through some extremenly soft sand at the closest beach access. Have I set up the story enough to figure out what really happened? JOHN MISSES HIS 4 WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK. He confessed that he'd never tried getting onto the beach before with anything else other than his truck-which always worked. What would we do? My stick and I became best friends. It scooped sand right out from under that high centered aluminun can and the whole ordeal is a memory.
What! You don't believe me--you want to know the rest of the story? You don't think I could dig our way out, have John jack the car, and drive out on drift wood? You don't think we actually abandoned our car or called for off road towing?
Michelle and family were waiting for us to get to Seaside, we contemplated calling her and having her pick us up.
Okay, so we weren't the first car to ever get stuck in sand and the good people of Oregon carry tow ropes in their 4 wheel drives (except for Michelle--and she knows now what she's getting from us for her birthday, like it or not). Sadly one big wheeled truck Samaritan managed to get himself stuck trying to help us, before a jeep came along. The two of them tied their TOW ropes together and the jeep pulled us both out (individually of course). I felt vindicated to some degree, but every local knew that was a bad access road. We were advised to use the Sunset Beach access next time. We did and the next day Scott took us all driving on the beach in his 4 wheel drive Toyota Sequoia. Scott was swerving all over and the kids were panic screaming-- I could see it in Michelle's eyes too. "You'd think those guys didn't know what 4 wheel drives can do" John later remarked. "I should have gotten behind the wheel" (Scott the gauntlet has been laid--you and John, beach, 4 wheel drives...next time).
The beach was gorgeous. The warm sand squished between my toesies and the condo was right on the beach. I'm still smiling. The condo was a two bedroom special needs which I, well, was going to feel guilty about, but when I saw how the room catered to pack and plays and extra space for children, I determined we were that special needs family--8 of us in the Condo--and it worked! We had so much fun with the DeVries and the kids were a hoot to play with when they weren't watching tv. (I think tv watching is the true health pandemic that calls for a bailout plan).
Saturday, as I said, was rainy, but John and I managed to take the kids to the Salt Water Taffy shop. John had a brilliant idea that he was sure would take up some time. "Go fill up your bags with 10 candies each" he explained... The kids didn't appreciate the variety. They just grabbed their 10 candies and kept asking for ice cream. It was, by the way, Eden's 4th Birthday and she already had been given a free ice cream from the shop. Fair was fair. Right? John's idea continued to backfire. He figured it took 70 pieces to make a pound and he would have the kids just eat their candy while he filled bags for friends and special requests from friends, etc. When we checked out he let the lady know that the kids had been eating their candy and he would pay for eaten pieces. She informed him that they only charged by weight and darn it all if we didn't just get a bunch of free candy in those kids' bellies. *Actually, John, what a brilliant idea and great way to save money* ha ha.
So the place is called Candy Man. If you want free candy....
Well, tons more activities and no pics at the moment. Carousel, Fort Stevens bunkers, the shipwreck again, soaked kids, an hour in Ross for new clothes, Papa Murphy birthday pizza, homemade box cake (the secret is the butter instead of oil and the Reeses Pieces Puffs on top of the frosting--great crunch!) More tv and more swimming/hot tubbing, and then we actually got to fly some kites once the sun went down. I will not at all mislead you to think that the beach was fun then. It had its moments and the kites were cool, but so was the air by then...brrrr. Eden had about 20 minutes of it and we called it a very long day.
Check out before 10am the next day. The DeVries family made a magic trick. With only 20 minutes to leave by 9:30, and with everyone still eating breakfast, gears changed rapidly: the kids got dressed, Michelle and Scott packed up the bedroom and the kitchen. 9:30 the boys were taking suitcases out to the car, Michelle took a shower and got ready for church. John checked us out of the room and the final sweep performed by Scott around 10am located the forgotten grahm crackers that later would provide us with much sweetened nourishment for lunch. Thanks Scott for the save. But really...50 minutes! I was impressed. The opening song and sacrament song were missed, but the family was there for sacrament. In fact, they were there before the "always on-time John". But, you see, here's our excuse. John and I did not know where the church was and you could say we got lost, but how can you get lost when you never knew where you were going in the first place? The family got out of there so quickly that--well, we thought we were going to follow them. But, oh well. We did ask directions at a Microtel Inn. The front desk did not know what LDS was, but one girl called her mom for directions. Evidentally her mother's job is to drive residents to church so she knows the location of all the churches in town. We made it there by the first testimonies.
We went to church, ate a picnic on the church lawn, said our goodbyes under a smiling sun --no body wanted to leave. Drove into pouring Portland, caught an almost uneventful flight (except its me so I'll always have some drama--like losing a boarding pass between the security gate, the bathroom, and the boarding area--and or, watching all the luggage come out onto the carousel and right when you see your bag pop out, the carousel stops, nobody moves, the bags seemed jammed; no workers come to see what's going on and we all stand around for 5-8 minutes wondering who's going to help. I finally went over to see where my bag ended up in the process--NAUGHTY bag. IT had caused the baggage pile up and the decomissioned freeway. I pushed and pulled at it until something snapped. So note to all travelers: Make sure that your buckles are secure, because you never know when the strap might decide to lodge itself into the conveyor belt and stop the whole show. Some guy came up to me and handed me the buckle-"here's what's left"--nice, thanks.)
So here I am tired, cranky, waiting for John to call which he was supposed to do 1.5 ago and I'm feeling like a big long nap. Getting to work this morning at 6:30 seemed so very early...YAWN. But I had it good. John drove the 2 hours to Portland and another 3-4 back to Bend. He then had to set up his 5th wheel, catch a 1/2 nap before getting on the sweeper truck and going another 40 minutes to Redmond. He said he kept falling asleep while driving and finally stopped and took another nap. Needless to say, the sun came up before he did. Overall, I hope no one really noticed the big Red Loud Dusty Truck going in circles around the Wal*Mart parking lot. So a final thought to help you and remind me to have empathy...
When you think its bad for you...you can always guarantee something worse for John. (I love you John, but you sure have some funny luck).
So now, yes now. I'm done. I will write about my hitchhiker experience later. And also I have yet to do the refinishing of the porcelain tub and sink--I think I'm intimidated.
Good night.
Love Kimberly
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